Sonia Modes

Both longtime regulars and new friends flock to the throwback East Side institution — which
could double as a
Mad Men set — for a moment with Modes, who, on Tuesday and Saturday nights, holds court at
an upright piano set inside a wraparound bar.

“I can play for five hours and not repeat a song,” said Modes, a Bexley native whose resume
includes stints in vanished venues such as the Desert Inn, the Kahiki and the Neil House, among
others. “If I can hum it, I can play it.”

Since her 1965 premiere at the Top, she is known for recalling scores of regulars’ favorites —
from Broadway hits to the Beatles.

Her personal favorite: the theme from
Two for the Road, by Henry Mancini.

Lately, the 63-year performer has offered a microphone to guest singers (several regulars often
take advantage). A bassist sometimes joins in.

Those sipping Manhattans or martinis nearby might engage with the cordial Modes, who touts
another long-lost skill in addition to her self-taught piano acumen.